Gold King Mine Release Joint Information Center

Friday, August 28, 2015

Final Post of the Gold King Mine Release Joint Information Center

This will be the final blog post for Gold King Mine Release Joint Information Center; however, incident information sharing and coordination will continue as necessary. Starting immediately, further information and updates related to the incident, including EPA claims program, will be handled by the EPA through their toll free hotline at (844) 607-9700. Local agencies will continue to inform the public of ongoing operations through our established media process. Local information can be accessed at:

Sunday, August 23, 2015

EPA has released Sediment Data for 8/13 and 8/14/15

EPA has released sediment data and has issued the following information:

The EPA surface water samples collected on August 16 and 17, 2015 from along the Animas River have been validated. EPA has done a review of the data which included a comparison to screening levels for exposure during recreational use to determine if the metal concentrations are consistent with pre-incident levels.

Based on the results of the surface water samples in the Animas River, surface water concentrations are trending toward pre-event conditions.

Click link below to read more from the EPA

http://www2.epa.gov/goldkingmine/gold-king-mine-data-august-23-2015

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Media Advisory - Gold King Mine Incident Media Site Visit Plan

******MEDIA ADVISORY****MEDIA ADVISORY***MEDIA ADVISORY***

DATE: August 22, 2015
CONTACT: (970) 812-3351

Gold King Mine Incident Media Site Visit Plan

DURANGO, CO – Due the demand for visits to the Gold King Mine release site, the Unified Colorado Command has announced the following rules for media site visit requests:

All requests for visitation must be submitted 48 hours prior, to the Joint Information Center (JIC) Media line (970) 812-3351, Monday through Friday. Access is provided for the sole purpose of capturing B-roll/footage.
If access to Gold King Mine is made available following construction work on the access road, ALL media/visitors must receive personal protective equipment (PPE), an in-person safety briefing and sign the ‘Gold King Mine Visitor’ sheet prior to work zone entry.
Use of a media pool is requested for access to the Gold King Mine for the purpose of capturing B-roll/footage, if the site is deemed accessible in the fall. No more than three representatives will be allowed; to be determined by media outlets. Names of media representatives shall be provided with credentials to Public Information Offer (PIO) at time of visit. Representatives should report no later than 10:45 am to the Silverton Courthouse, 1557 Green Street, to meet the PIO for tours on designated days.
If Gold King Mine becomes accessible, visit/tour times will be limited to two days (Tuesday/Thursday) during the week from 11 am to 1 pm. Tours of the Silverton Hundred Gold Mine are available for filming/photos of general mining operations. After contacting PIO to confirm tour, report to the Silverton Courthouse by 10:45 am.
Additional access via Hurricane Pass overlook is available without PPE or a safety briefing. To schedule, call the JIC Media line at (970) 812-3351.
Safety briefings are to be provided by designated Incident Management Team (IMT) Safety Officers, EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), or United States Coast Guard (USCG) Strike Team contract oversight personnel only.
Based on location of visit, visitors are required to wear appropriate PPE at all times. (e.g., eye protection, hard hat, and closed toe shoes).
Site operations will take priority; be aware that visitations may be cancelled or postponed last minute due to operational constraints or weather conditions.

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EPA Releases Gold King Mine File Documents

EPA announced today that it is has made a number of Gold King Mine file documents available to the public. These include the EPA Task Order, the Action/Work Plan and Site Health and Safety Plan for the work at the Gold King Mine site: http://www2.epa.gov/goldkingmine/epa-posts-gold-king-mine-file-documents

The most recent water quality and sediment sample data can be found here: http://www2.epa.gov/goldkingmine/data-gold-king-mine-response

Friday, August 21, 2015

Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Claims Processing

Links to Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Claims Processing FAQ sheet handed out at the 8/20/15 community meeting: http://bit.ly/1JqD1WA and Claim Process Fact Sheet: http://bit.ly/1NrqZ1F

Community Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) FAQ

Link to Community Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) FAQ sheet handed out at the 8/20/15 community meeting: http://bit.ly/1fwDev6

Livestock/Feed FAQ

Link to Livestock/Feed FAQ sheet handed out at the 8/20/15 community meeting: http://bit.ly/1h1Qzg6

Animas River FAQ

Link to the Animas River FAQ sheet handed out at the 8/20/15 community meeting: http://bit.ly/1LnYtej

Animas River Recreational and Tourism FAQ

Link to Animas River Recreational and Tourism FAQ sheet handed out at the 8/20/15 community meeting: http://bit.ly/1JxMBsr

Gardening/Agriculture FAQs

Link to Gardening/Agriculture FAQ sheet handed out at the 8/20/15 community meeting: http://bit.ly/1JmVoaz

Animas River's Changing Color FAQs

Link to FAQ sheet handed out at the 8/20/15 community meeting: http://bit.ly/1MDsrwh

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Increased Sediment in Cement Creek Due to Road Work

San Juan County has resumed construction on the damaged road that leads to Gold King Mine. The road work is causing an increase in sediment load in Cement Creek. This road sediment will not be hazardous but may cause a discoloration of the creek.

Free Testing of Private Drinking Water Wells Continues

DURANGO, CO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to test drinking water wells in the Animas and San Juan River watersheds through the EPA’s voluntary drinking water well testing program established for this incident.

EPA is continuing to test private drinking water wells under the voluntary testing program. EPA, State and County are studying the area to identify wells that may have a hydrologic connection with the Animas River. Residents may contact (970) 382-7592 to determine if wells need to be tested. Residents will be contacted if their well has been identified to need testing.

Sample results are provided directly to well owners.

EPA has completed testing of 105 private drinking water wells along the Animas River in Colorado. Of these, only seven samples exceeded drinking water standards. EPA is working directly with well owners to further investigate these wells. It is currently unknown if the exceedances were caused by the mine release.

Initial water well samples were collected from the well head, not at the tap (faucet/spigot) inside of homes. Wells that exceeded drinking water standards will undergo further investigation by flushing the well; resampling the well; and taking an additional tap water sample for analysis.

Local soil and bedrock conditions can cause drinking water wells to exceed water quality standards for compounds like manganese and iron. The owners of wells where these drinking water standards have been exceeded are being notified by the EPA and advised of these exceedances. They do not pose a health threat. Therefore, additional well sampling is not being conducted at those wells.

TONIGHT - Gold King Mine Public Meeting

The Durango Herald will video tonight's Gold King Mine Public Meeting and will post a link on their website. A link to the video will also be posted on this site.

Durango, CO - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), San Juan Basin Health Department, La Plata County, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and other agencies responding to the impacts of the Gold King Mine incident in La Plata County will hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2015 at Miller Middle School, 2608 Junction Street, Durango. A Spanish interpreter will be present.

There will be an overview of the incident given in the auditorium and then the public will have the opportunity to go to break-out tables to speak with experts available on topics including the following:

Recreation on the Animas, including rafting and fishing
Gardening and Agriculture
Environmental Monitoring
Economic Impacts

A Recovery Center is open in Durango on Tuesday, August 18 and Wednesday, August 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the east end of the La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, 2500 Main Avenue, Durango Colorado. Staff from local, state and federal agencies will be available to answer questions regarding financial and/or technical assistance related to the Animas River - Gold King Mine release. If you believe that you have suffered an economic loss related to the event, or if you have questions related to water quality, crops or livestock, individuals will be on hand to offer information and/or assistance.

La Plata County has set up a Call Center for the public at 970-382-7592 and it is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Southern Ute Tribal members may call the Tribal Hotline at 970-563-5025. Public information can be found on the following sites:

Blog: goldkingminerelease.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/goldkingminerelease
Twitter: @GKMRelease
YouTube channel: Gold King Mine Release.

EPA website for the incident can be found at http://www2.epa.gov/goldkingmine.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also has a webpage for the incident at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/animas-river-spill.

FAQ What Are the Health Risks of Exposure/Ingestion

Based on data collected so far, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry do not anticipate adverse health effects from exposure to the metals detected in the river water from skin contact or incidental (unintentional) ingestion. Similarly, they do not anticipate adverse effects to livestock that may have been exposed to metals detected in river water samples from ingestion or skin contact. We continue to evaluate water quality at locations impacted by the release.

Although the pH levels in the Animas River between Cement Creek and Durango have returned to baseline levels, washing with soap and water after contact with untreated river water is always sound public health practice. This will minimize exposure to any metals and pathogens that may be present.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

REMINDER-GOLD KING MINE PUBLIC MEETING

Durango, CO - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), San Juan Basin Health Department, La Plata County, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and other agencies responding to the impacts of the Gold King Mine incident in La Plata County will hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2015 at Miller Middle School, 2608 Junction Street, Durango. There will be an overview of the incident given in the auditorium and then the public will have the opportunity to go to break-out tables to speak with experts available on topics including the following:

Recreation on the Animas, including rafting and fishing
Gardening and Agriculture
Environmental Monitoring
Economic Impacts

Map of Data-Gold King Mine Response

Open this link, click on the individual "balloon" to get specific information for that location.

FAQ EPA Water Quality Data

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working around the clock to collect and analyze water quality information in order to develop a comprehensive picture of water quality at various locations over time. This is a massive task and it is critical to make sure we are doing all we can to develop the sound science that will support recommendations and decisions that protect the public.

This is a time consuming process. The EPA is looking to develop and evaluate a full picture of the release event and water quality conditions before, during and following the movement of the plume downstream. The EPA is sampling water at several locations in the Animas and San Juan Rivers for a suite of metals and contaminants. The lab work and quality assurance process for generating this data is extensive and designed to make sure we can have confidence in our results. This effort is generating thousands of data points which must be analyzed by our scientists, placed in context of other data collected, assessed for trends and compared to risk screening levels that EPA uses to make sure public health is protected."